Fascinating food in New York and occasionally farther afield

Lower East Side

Try as I might, I couldn't manage a biteaway view of these fried pickles. The crisp batter gave way much more quickly and cleanly than the pickle slices themselves, which repeatedly burned my lips. From a roster of nine sauces, the yogurt-based house namesake provided fast, fast relief.

By way of salchicha guisada, pilaf, pakoras, and abelskiver, Honduras, Kazakhstan, India, and Denmark all showed their colors at this annual school festival. So did a host of others: Some two dozen families prepared home cooking from nearly as many culinary traditions. (See more good food on Flickr.) At a New York City school, that's the sort of diversity we should expect.

Shaved ice usually takes its flavor from syrup. That's true in Japan, too, but this particular kakigori also wears a crown of whipped cream and crumbled graham crackers. It evokes Key lime pie but discourages slices.

Turkey, spinach, and quinoa combine to give the meatballs in this mini-sub a meltingly light touch, enriched by pecorino and Grana Padano cheeses. Quite apart from the housemade tomato sauce, the meatballs are very moist, too, as my empty sandwich caddy attests.

"My grandmother — this must be a hundred years ago! — used to eat watermelon with feta," said the lady. "If you were in Greece," said another lady in her party, "you would never have just watermelon for breakfast." It's better, she observed, to add something salty to set against the sweet.

Greek Jewish FestivalOutside the Kehila Kedosha Janina Synagogue and Museum, 280 Broome St. (Allen-Eldridge Sts.), Manhattanwww.Facebook.com/events/427687631333635(The 2019 festival was held on May 19)

Panamanian brunch: picadillo de bofe con hojaldas. In most of Latin America, "picadillo" denotes a mince, but this chunky style is typical for Panama. And although "bofe" (Bo-fay) is literally beef lung, this word might be a colloquialism in the spirit of "man-and-wife lung slices." That is, the meat might have come from some other part of the beast instead.

As for the hojaldas (oh-Hahl-dahs), these derive their name from the Spanish for "leaf." Torn bits of this excellent fresh-made frybread helped me scarf up the bofe. If you're dining with a buddy or two (the shop's tiny counter seats only three), consider an extra order of hojaldas on the side.

Elegantly disguised (above) and in imminent peril (below): "Brooklyn Blackout." For this homage to the borough's beloved Ebinger bakery, a chocolate cake donut is filled with chocolate pudding, dipped in chocolate, then dressed in a topcoat of chocolate cake crumbs. Not shown: my wad of napkins, temporarily white.

Doughnut Plant379 Grand St. (Essex-Clinton Sts.), Manhattan(one of several locations)212-505-3700www.DoughnutPlant.com

(This venue is closed.) End-on, the Byggybeef is modest in appearance. It betrays little of its makings — among them, warm beef slow-braised in pomegranate juice, and a bespoke vegetable combo that includes pickled fennel, carrot, red cabbage, and currants — but fanciful culinary formulas, which decorate the dining area, hint at the underlying alchemy.